By Sarwar Kashani
Srinagar/New Delhi/Islamabad, May 7 (EFE).- Dozens of civilians were killed on Wednesday in the worst India-Pakistan military escalation in nearly a decade, sparking global alarm over a potential regional war after India conducted airstrikes on suspected militant camps in Pakistan.
The military strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir triggered cross-border shelling, all in the wake of a brutal Apr. 22 massacre in Indian Kashmir.
At least 26 persons were killed in the Indian airstrikes, while 10 died in India in Pakistani border shelling in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir.
Tensions between the two regional rivals erupted after gunmen killed 26 Indian tourists on Apr. 22 in the picturesque town of Pahalgam in Indian Kashmir. India swiftly blamed Pakistan-based militants for orchestrating the bloodshed.
Two weeks later, New Delhi conducted what it had code-named “Operation Sindoor,” a series of airstrikes that India called a “restrained but precise” retaliation.
The Indian government said the armed forces hit nine militant infrastructure sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir during the pre-dawn offensive on Wednesday.
The defense ministry claimed no Pakistani military or civilian facilities were targeted, aiming to signal a controlled response and avoid a full-fledged open war.
“The strikes were directed only at terrorist planning centers. This is justice for the innocent lives lost in Pahalgam,” said an Indian army statement, posted alongside the cryptic message: “Justice is served.”
A Mounting Civilian Toll
The Pakistani military condemned the strikes, accusing India of targeting civilian areas, including mosques, and critical infrastructure like hydropower plants and water resources.
“This was a cowardly act,” said Pakistani military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry. “India targeted 24 civilian locations, killing 26 innocent people, including women and children, and injuring 46 more.”
Among the casualties were a 16-year-old girl and an 18-year-old boy in Kotli and three people in a mosque near Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani Kashmir.
Pakistani authorities also accused India of attacking the Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project, an action they called a breach of international law.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry labeled the strike “an unprovoked and blatant act of war,” warning that the country “will respond with iron resolve.” In response, the National Security Committee granted the Pakistani Armed Forces full authority to retaliate.
Retaliation and Cross-Border Clashes
Overnight, Pakistan launched what it called “limited retaliatory operations,” including air and ground responses.
The Pakistani military claimed it had shot down five Indian fighter jets and a drone during the hostilities. India has not confirmed those losses even as the wreckage of planes was found by locals in at least three Indian cities.
Meanwhile, along the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border in Kashmir, intense artillery fire broke out, causing civilian deaths and widespread damage to properties.
“The upper story of my house is completely damaged. Thank god, the family is safe,” Hafeez, a resident of Poonch near the LoC, told EFE over the phone.
Zakir Brah, another resident, told EFE that “our homes are no longer safe. If this continues, we will have to move and advise others to do the same.”
Several families lost their loved ones, and dozens of people were hospitalized following burnt and blast injuries, according to Hafeez.
Official sources said at least 10 Indian civilians were killed and several injured as border villages, especially in the Uri and Poonch sectors, came under sustained shelling from the Pakistan side.
Homes were damaged and thousands displaced as authorities moved villagers to shelters and closed schools across five districts.
«The situation is critical. We are doing all we can to ensure the safety of civilians,” said Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, de facto in charge of the federally ruled Jammu and Kashmir union territory.
Civilians in the Crossfire, and in the Skies
In a dramatic revelation, Pakistan’s military disclosed that over 50 international civilian flights were airborne in Pakistani airspace when Indian missiles struck from across the border.
“India endangered hundreds of innocent lives flying in international air corridors. The recklessness of this aggression is staggering,” said Lt. Gen. Chaudhry.
This allegation has heightened international alarm, raising questions about the risk posed to civilian aviation in a region teetering on the brink of full-scale war between the South Asian nuclear powers.
Nuclear Overtones and Global Alarm
With both India and Pakistan armed with nuclear weapons and a history of full-fledged wars, the latest escalation has sparked serious international concern.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for urgent de-escalation.
“The world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan,” Guterres said in a statement. “We urge both sides to exercise maximum restraint and engage in dialogue.”
US President Donald Trump, responding to reporters, called the renewed conflict a “shame” and alluded to the long, painful history between the two nations.
Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval briefed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the military actions, official sources in New Delhi said. Doval also spoke with several other global counterparts.
“I am monitoring the situation between India and Pakistan closely,” Rubio wrote on X, hoping the conflict would not escalate further.
China, one of Pakistan’s closest allies, regretted India’s military action and urged both countries to «prioritize peace and stability.» Russia also urged them “to act with restraint.»
Diplomatic Fallout and Hardening Postures
India has taken a series of diplomatic steps since the Pahalgam massacre, including expelling Pakistani diplomats and threatening to cut off the river water flow into Pakistan.
In Pakistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warned that his nation and the armed forces know how to deal with the enemy.
“This aggression will not go unanswered,” he said.
Despite India insisting it targeted only militant bases, Pakistan says the strikes were an act of war. Islamabad has begun mobilizing its armed forces for a broader response, and authorities have warned of consequences “at a time and place of our choosing.”
A Region on the Brink
Kashmir, claimed in full by both India and Pakistan, has been a flashpoint since the 1947 partition, with the latest violence pushing it perilously close to a fourth war.
The Apr. 22 carnage, followed by military reprisals and mounting civilian casualties, has transformed a decades-old conflict into a potential regional conflagration.
As jets scream overhead and artillery echoes across the borders, civilians in Kashmir had their fingers crossed for what could come next.
From early morning, Srinagar’s gas stations witnessed long queues as people rushed to stock up on essentials. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Bank notified depositors via SMS that cash withdrawals would be restricted indefinitely.
While about a dozen airports, including the one in Srinagar, the main city of Indian Kashmir, have been closed temporarily, several airlines rerouted or canceled their flights after the escalating India-Pakistan conflict. EFE
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